For Sale: Is this 1986 BMW ALPINA C1 2.5 worth the money?

ALPINA has been developing upgraded BMWs for decades now and they’re some of the most highly sought after Bavarian cars on the second-hand market. So …

ALPINA has been developing upgraded BMWs for decades now and they’re some of the most highly sought after Bavarian cars on the second-hand market. So much so, that ALPINA variants of BMW cars are usually worth significantly more than their standard BMW counterparts. This 1986 BMW ALPINA C1 2.5 is a good example of that.

Although the ALPINA C1 2.5 isn’t quite the performer that the E30 M3 is, but it can be worth even more. This 1986 ALPINA C1 2.5 is up for sale and wears a price tag of $48,000. While some E30 M3s are worth more than that, there are many fine examples that can be had for significantly less money. That makes this ALPINA C1 seem expensive at face value. But let’s take a look and see if it’s worth the money.

It’s actually quite a bit rarer than the E30 M3. With only 50 models made, this ALPINA C1 is quite the unicorn, especially in the United States. This specific car isn’t actually isn’t for sale in the US and currently resides in The Netherlands. So it might not be the easiest car to buy, depending on which country you live in, on top of being expensive. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth it.

Firstly, it looks great. The typical ALPINA gold livery over the Royal Blue Metallic paint looks fantastic and it’s in incredible shape. While it has 96,000 miles, it’s in great condition and has had a respray in the proper ALPINA blue. There’s some minor wear on the bumpers, but nothing to worry about. On the inside, the typical ALPINA sport seats, chunky steering wheel and wood shift knob look so classically ’80s cool. It’s a big upgrade over the interior of the standard E30 3 Series and even M3.

Under the hood lies a 2.5 liter I6 engine that packs 190 hp. That’s about the same amount of power as an E30 M3’s 192 hp, even though its 2.5 liter I6 engine is bigger than the M3’s 2.3 liter four-cylinder. With 173 lb-ft of torque, it just edges the M3’s 170 lb-ft of torque. Though, the M3 is faster, getting from 0-60 mph in 6.9 seconds compared to the ALPINA’s 7.2 seconds. That’s likely thanks to the M3’s lighter weight.

Now, while the ALPINA doesn’t really have any more power, is slower to 60 mph and likely handles a bit worse, it could be the more desirable car to many enthusiasts. While it’s slower, the ALPINA is more comfortable and has a nicer interior while still being an excellent performer. It’s also far more rare and interesting.

So what do you think, is this 1986 ALPINA C1 2.5 worth more money than many E30 M3s?